A Place to show my latest works, Paintings done from Facebook photos Size A2.
Speed paintings.
Pes Football Matches and Home movies + The Odd Book,Interests and things that press the chuckle button! :0)

IT'S PAINTING AND DRAWING HERE From Monday 25th. April

Live and Let Fly: Broccoli Scouts AfricaWill Africa feature in the next 007 adventure? Various Bond fan websites, together with other internet sources such as 'Business Insider', reported in early April some intriguing news about a possible African dimension to Bond 23, which is expected to start main filming in November this year. They noted that former England international cricket player Darren Gough revealed on 6 April that he had sat next to Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and director Sam Mendes ('what a lovely bloke', said Gough) while on a first class Virgin Airways flight to Johannesburg, the capital of South Africa. They apparently told Gough that they were 'scouting locations'. A rumour that Wint and Kidd were sitting a few seats behind the pair on the same flight has been strenuously denied, however! To India With Love? It has now reached that stage in the Bond film cycle when pre-production rumours go into overdrive, driven by those who want a piece of the action (a Bond connection can boost marketing for tourism enormously). Unconfirmed reports have mentioned India as another possible location for Bond 23 filming (India was first used as a Bond film location in 'Octopussy' in September, 1982). On 16 April the Times of India carried a report claiming that talks had taken place about location shooting down the famous Konkan Railway, which runs along the coast of the Indian subcontinent. The route of the railway runs through some particularly rugged landscape. Rumours Royale Rumours about Bond 23 casting possibilities have also continued during April. As we noted in our previous Newsletter, Baz Bamigboye of the UK's Daily Mail newspaper carried interesting reports on 4 February and 25 March that acclaimed actor Ralph Fiennes is being lined up as one of the stars in Bond 23. Bamigboye repeated this again on 22 April, when he did a piece on Fiennes being approached to play the mysterious Magwitch in a new big-screen version of Dickens's 'Great Expectations'. At one point Bamigboye noted that: 'Talks continue for Fiennes to be in Sam Mendes's Bond film, and there are several other film projects that the actor is keen to do'. Moreover, in the same edition, in an article on distinguished actor Simon Russell Beale, Bamigboye added that Russell Beale 'will also play an unspecified role in the next Bond movie'. One thing seems pretty clear, though: the JBIFC has learnt of increased pre-production preparations in recent weeks at Pinewood Studios, which suggests the famous studios will be utilised for Bond 23 later this year. Bond Is Back - With Sony The distribution arrangements for Bond 23 are certainly gathering speed. In a press release from Los Angeles dated 13 April, 2011, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) announced that it will remain in the Bond business after reaching an agreement with MGM to co-finance, market and distribute Bond 23 worldwide. Sony and the new MGM Co-Chairmen and CEOs, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, also publicly reinforced their faith in the future of the Bond franchise by stating: 'Sony Pictures and MGM look forward to Sony Pictures co-financing and distributing Bond 24 on a similar basis'. Barber and Birnbaum added: 'Sony Pictures is the ideal studio partner for us as MGM re-enters the film-making business'. One of Sony Pictures' Co-Chairs, Amy Pascal, said in response: 'After successfully working on the re-launch of the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, we could not be more proud or privileged to continue our association with Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Daniel Craig, and the talented teams at EON and MGM'. Saint, Knight and Duke James Bond no.3, Sir Roger Moore, who turned 83 years young last October, started work in Bucharest in March on 'Christmas at Castlebury Hall', an American family movie, directed by Michael Damian. Sir Roger plays the Duke of Castlebury in the new comedy. Everything went smoothly until near the end of filming. Moore recently revealed on his website that, on the penultimate day of shooting the new movie, he tripped over a cable on the dark set, and three other people came tumbling down on him, leaving the former 007 with a badly sprained ankle and having to use crutches. Let's hope he is back on form for July, 2011: Sir Roger has also revealed that the long-awaited new two-hour TV movie of 'The Saint' is due to start filming in New Orleans in July, and Roger is booked to be there in the same month. The new movie is titled 'The Saint in New Orleans', but there is no word yet on who will take the role of Simon Templar, or on other casting decisions. Interestingly, in his autobiography 'My Word is My Bond' published in 2008, Moore revealed that his son Geoffrey is one of the producers on the project and that they were hoping to cast James Purefoy as Simon Templar. Bond on Bond In a press release issued in mid-April, it was announced that Sir Roger Moore will follow up his bestselling autobiography 'My Word Is My Bond' (2008) with a new book titled 'Bond on Bond' to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond films. The new volume, to be published in September, 2012, will be a guide to the cars, gadgets and girls of the James Bond movies, together with Sir Roger's thoughts on the evil villains of the series and some personal reminisces about his own time as the world's most famous secret agent. The third man to play James Bond, who still rates 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977) as his favourite Bond movie, commented in characteristic tone: 'I'm greatly looking forward to delving into my memory box again and rummaging through the photo albums to admire my great physique, dashing good looks and full set of teeth'. The Living Highlights: Dalton talks Bond Pressure of space in recent editions of the JBIFC Newsletter meant we were unable to mention an interview given by James Bond no.4, Timothy Dalton, held to tie in with his recent role in the US spy-spoof TV series 'Chuck', made by NBC. The interview, given to Christian Blauvelt of Entertainment Weekly, contained some interesting reflections on Tim's time as 007, and on the legal problems between Danjaq and MGM/UA in 1989 (Danjaq sued MGM/UA and its parent company Qintex in 1989 for selling TV rights to the Bond film back-catalogue without Danjaq's approval). Dalton said: 'I think I was starting what would have been my third Bond film in '89 or '90. It had been written, we were talking directors, and then the lawsuit came. It held for five years, and I certainly didn't want to carry on after having been associated with Bond for almost 10 years at that point'. The Shakespearian star also added that he thought the first 25 minutes of 'Casino Royale', Daniel Craig's first Bond movie, 'was the best 25 minutes I've seen in any Bond movie. I thought it was a fantastic opening'. Dalton also recognised the irony that Craig's Bond is the type of Bond that Broccoli originally wanted Dalton to portray in the late 1980s, but that audiences at that point were perhaps not yet ready for the harder-edged Fleming Bond of the type he played. Dalton said when they made his two Bond films, 'everybody by then was so used to something else. I think people like to stay with what they're comfortable. So I think Cubby and I were fairly lonely voices!' Diamonds Remain ForeverAccording to a survey prepared by the crime drama digital TV channel 'Alibi', Bond creator Ian Fleming has beaten crime writer Agatha Christie to the title of most successful and highest earning British crime writer of all time. Billed as the first UK crime writers 'rich list', the survey was based on recorded sales, box office returns, licence fees, and company accounts, and reveals that many dead British writers, including Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie, have lived on as flourishing brands. Fleming came in at first place with £100m+ and Christie was not far behind. Although Fleming's books have sold an astonishing 100 million copies worldwide, it was the Bond movies that sealed the author's success, becoming the most lucrative movies series in cinema history. 'Alibi' channel's boss Steve Hornsey quipped: 'Whoever said you couldn't profit from crime clearly didn't consider the potential earnings from writing crime fiction'. Deaver Campaign Ready to Launch April saw the announcement of some of the details of the impending major publicity campaign for 'Carte Blanche', the new James Bond book by Jeffery Deaver, to be released in the UK on 28 May, 2011. This includes an appearance by Deaver at the famous Hay-on-Wye literary festival in Wales in May, and a special launch event and interview to be staged at the Congress Centre in central London on 26 May, held in conjunction with The Times newspaper. Deaver also gave an extensive interview recently to 'The HMSS Weblog', the blog of the 'Her Majesty's Secret Servant' webzine, where he gave further insights into how he created a new version of 007 for the 21 st century, and also gave a few more hints about what we can expect. At one point in the interview, which was conducted by Mark Henderson, Deaver was asked whether any of Ian Fleming's recurring characters appear in the new novel. Deaver responded: 'I don't want to say too much, but I will say that the core of his allies are drawn from to populate the book. I can say there will be no bad guys from the past. They are entirely my own creation. So, let's just say that characters like M, Bill Tanner the chief of staff, Miss Moneypenny, of course will be back'. You can read the full interview at with Deaver at: http://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/hmss-interviews-jeffery-deaver/Licence Renewed: Gardner's 007 Novels to be ReprintedWhile Bond fans wait patiently for the eagerly anticipated release in May of 'Carte Blanche', the new Bond adventure by Jeffery Deaver, Ian Fleming Publications (IFP) recently announced the release of new editions of John Gardner's 007 novels. To celebrate the 30 th Anniversary of Gardner's first Bond novel 'Licence Renewed' in 1981, all fourteen of Gardner's Bond books will be reprinted by Orion in the UK, starting with the first three ('Licence Renewed', 'For Special Services', and 'Icebreaker') on 23 June, 2011, followed rapidly by the next two ('Role of Honour' and 'Nobody Lives Forever') on 7 July. As an added bonus to collectors, the first five titles in the Gardner series will be reprinted in hardback, with their original UK cover designs. The rest of the Gardner collection will be released in paperback format in the UK during the course of 2012-13, with redesigned covers. When it appeared in 1981, 'Licence Renewed' carried a dust-jacket designed by Mon Mohan, based on an original commissioned watercolour by Richard Chopping, who had famously designed some of the most memorable of the dustcovers for the Ian Fleming Bond books first published by Jonathan Cape. Gardner's first 007 adventure, which was originally titled 'Meltdown' by the author, was well received by most reviewers at the time, and became an immediate bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. The main plot, which involved the villainous Laird Anton Murik planning to trigger meltdowns at six nuclear power stations, seems even more prescient thirty years later. Playing his Golden Harp Who played more Bond women than any other actress? The BBC programme 'Antiques Roadshow' contained a pleasant surprise for Bond enthusiasts in general and 'Goldfinger' fans in particular when former actress Nikki van der Zyl appeared on the programme on Sunday 17 April, clutching her original copy of the 'Goldfinger' script as used by none other than the late Gert Frobe himself. The programme was recorded from Hatfield House in Hertfordshire in July last year, and Nikki (aka Monica) turned up to have some items valued, including her precious 'Goldfinger' script. Van der Syl was employed as a dialogue coach to the German actor, who had little experience of speaking in English-language films, and helped Frobe reach the right clarity and tone on such memorable scenes as the 'Do you expect me to talk?'/ 'No, I expect you to die' encounter with Sean Connery' 007. Monica also talked briefly about her job re-voicing (i.e. dubbing) the voice of Ursula Andress in 'Dr. No' in 1962, as well as some of the other leading women in the EON Bond films of the 1960s. For Your Ears Only Not many people realise that re-voicing, or to use the film industry's technical term 'post-synchronisation', was commonly used in the Bond movies in the 1960s, and Nikki van der Zyl was one of the leading re-voicing professionals, often called in to carry out this difficult and delicate task. She was never listed in the credits. She re-voiced Eunice Gayson in 'From Russia, With Love', Shirley Eaton in 'Goldfinger', Claudine Auger in 'Thunderball', and Jane Seymour in 'Live and Let Die', among others. She was also the woman's voice heard on the canal boat in Amsterdam in 'Diamonds are Forever'. Nikki also carried out re-voicing work on a host of other movies, including Harry Saltzman's 'Funeral in Berlin'. After later qualifying as a legal barrister, she went on to become a parliamentary research assistant, and also worked as a lobby correspondent in the UK's House of Commons. She is currently a writer and an after-dinner speaker, and is working on her autobiography, which will contain new details about her fascinating career, to be titled 'For Your Ears Only'. Golden High: Top Award for Set Designer Sir Ken Adam The sheer visual look of an EON Bond movie was often a feast for the eyes of cinema audiences in the 1960s and 1970s.The legendary set designer Sir Ken Adam created many of the most famous and lavish sets on these early Bond movies, including the nuclear control room in 'Dr. No' (1962), the Fort Knox bullion depository set for 'Goldfinger' (1964), and Blofeld's massive volcano rocket base in 'You Only Live Twice' (1967). The Fort Knox set, described by some as a 'cathedral of gold', was so convincing to cinemagoers that United Artists received numerous letters asking how Adam had got permission to see inside the depository. But it was all from his imagination! In the 1970s his highly distinctive designs were also on display in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977), with the famous sea-going Lotus Esprit, the submarine-swallowing super-tanker, and Stromberg's eerie underwater lair Atlantis, while in 'Moonraker' (1979), Adam' distinctive vision gave us a possible glimpse of the future with its space-age hide-outs for megalomaniac industrialist Sir Hugo Drax. The latter movie saw Sir Ken at his 007 film design zenith, as the last Bond feature of the 1970s used more location interiors than on any previous 007 movie, with a story that ranged from California to the Amazon jungle and, ultimately, climaxed in a space station circling the earth. On Monday 4 April, Sir Ken received a special BAFTA tribute and belated 90 th birthday party in celebration of his extraordinary career in film design, and the JBIFC inserted one its spies into the event. The special evening, held at the Institute of British Architects in central London, was supported by The Albert R. Broccoli and Dana Broccoli Foundation, and kicked off with a champagne reception. Guests included Lewis Gilbert, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Peter Lamont, Don Black and David Arnold. There was also a host of former Bond women present, including Eunice Gayson, Shirley Eaton, Caroline Munro and Valerie Leon. Unfortunately, Sir Roger Moore was unable to attend the evening due to his injury on set a few weeks ago, but sent a very humorous message. Film historian and major Adam fan Sir Christopher Frayling, who has written two studies of Adam's work, also added his voice to the well-deserved celebrations of Sir Ken's iconic movie design portfolio. Did You Know? From 17 November, 1999, to 9 January, 2000, the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington in central London held a special exhibition devoted to Ken Adam's extensive movie design work. The exhibition was titled 'Moonraker, Strangelove and other celluloid dreams; the visionary art of Ken Adams'. This was the first time in Britain that a publicly-funded art gallery had devoted a special exhibition to the work of a UK film production designer. Interviewed for a special tie-in brochure for the exhibition, Adam said the set he was keenest on during the first James Bond movie was the 'big tarantula room', 'with the circular opening in the ceiling. Simple, but ominous'. Bond Bits: Brief News Items You May Have Missed Anna Chapman, the Russian spy expelled from America, has been regularly portrayed in the media since then as a Bond-style femme fatale, and this was reinforced again on 27 March when she appeared on the cover of the UK's Observer Sunday magazine posing in the famous 007 gun-barrel... Sir Ken Adam, who recently received an BAFTA award (see our report earlier), was profiled and interviewed in a double-page spread in The Times newspaper on 2 April. Of his work on seven Bond films, Sir Ken, who served in the RAF and fought against the Nazis in World War Two, conceded: 'Maybe I was trying to satirise ghastly people like Goering or Goebbels'... New York-based Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who played devious computer wizard Boris Grishenko in 'Goldeneye' (1995), has been playing cross-dressing Desrae in the new TV drama 'The Runaway', which started transmission on the UK's Sky-1 on 7 April... Sean Bean, who played traitorous Alec Trevelyan in 'Goldeneye', can be seen as the hero Ned Stark in the new ten-part HBO fantasy drama series 'Game of Thrones', which started transmission on Sky Atlantic on 18 April. The acclaimed HBO series has just been picked up for a second series... Fans of the ever-busy Sean can also now see a preview of his new World War Two commando movie 'Age of Heroes', which opens in UK cinemas on 20 May. There is an exciting trailer for the movie currently online on YouTube. The movie also has role for British actor James D'Arcy, who plays Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming... Sean Bean will also star with Ashley Judd in American TV drama 'Missing', which starts shooting in Prague in May. The new thriller involves the CIA and a search for a missing child... The JBIFC was very sad to hear of the death on 11 April of Angela Scoular, wife of comedy actor Leslie Phillips. Angela appeared in two Bond films: as temptress Buttercup in the unofficial version of 'Casino Royale' in 1966 and, more famously, as flirtatious farmer's daughter Ruby in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), who was being brain-washed by Blofeld... Actress Eva Green, who played Vesper in 'Casino Royale' opposite Daniel Craig, has been house-hunting again in London. Since moving to the UK's capital in 2005, she has had homes in Maida Vale and Primrose Hill, and likes to spend her mornings jogging alongside the Regent's Canal. She has now ventured southwest to Fulham, where she is now renting a ground-floor flat. Eva has been tipped to play Maria Callas in an upcoming biopic of the opera singer. She is also due to star opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's new gothic horror film 'Dark Shadows'... Honor Blackman, who played Pussy Galore in 'Goldfinger' (1964) will be one of the special guests at a rare reunion of the cast and crew of 'The Avengers', the cult British TV series from the 1960s, which will be held at the University of Chichester, UK, on 25-26 June. The event will be the biggest reunion of cast and crew for 40 years, and will be hosted by Paul O'Grady... Honor was also briefly interviewed on BBC Radio-3's 'Night Waves' programme, broadcast on 20 April, in which Matthew Sweet celebrated 50 years of 'The Avengers'. She talked about the impact of her famous leather outfit, and how the groundbreaking role of Cathy Gale helped her to overturn the traditional barriers to women in the 1960s. Other contributors included 'Avengers' scriptwriter Brian Clemens... Steven Berkoff, who played General Orlov in 'Octopussy' (1983), was a guest on the BBC-1's Breakfast TV programme on 13 April and talked about his new one-man plays 'Dog' and 'Tell-tale Heart'. At one point the conversation turned to why Steven is often cast as a baddie in films, and Berkoff offered some reflections on the challenges of acting as a villain: he said it can be easier to play villains and evil people because they are 'more defined', but at the same time they can also be more challenging... The late circus legend Ali Hasani, whose family appeared in the 'Octopussy' circus scenes, was remembered by his friends and family recently in a special gathering in Kingston one year after his death. Mr. Hasani, who became a good friend to Barbara Broccoli during the shooting of the movie, mentored hundreds of young acrobats during his career... Halle Berry, who played Jinx in 'Die Another Day' (2002), appeared at the Silver Rose Awards in Los Angeles in April, where she was honoured for her work with a charity which helps victims of domestic abuse... Movie industry reports in April noted that MGM has spent $1m (£625,000) digitally changing the Chinese baddies in its forthcoming remake of 'Red Dawn' after Chinese newspapers complained about stereotyping. The paratroopers who fall on Michigan are now North Korean. MGM are keen that China does not ban its film, and some commentators have suggested they also want to make sure China also looks favourably on Bond 23 when it is exported to lucrative Far Eastern markets... It was confirmed recently that Rowan Atkinson's new spy comedy 'Johnny English Reborn', which also stars beautiful Rosamund Pike from 'Die Another Day' (2002), will open in UK cinemas from 7 October... The BBC has announced that the late and great composer John Barry will receive a posthumous award at the Classic Brit Awards in London on 12 May...

JBIFC Membership

JBIFC Membership costs just £9.50 worldwide. We now also accept PayPal.

Membership entitles you to the following benefits:

Personalised membership card with unique ID number giving:

Access to our encrypted 'Members' Only' area on the web site showing a large collection of articles, pictures and facts from the world of 007. New articles being added all the time.

KKBB, The James Bond Journal has indepth articles on the world of James Bond, both literary and film.
Now you can read it online or download a copy to your computer.

New issues will be added to the Member's area as they become available.

As a member you will still be able to get a printed copy of KKBB if you prefer.

As a member, these will cost only £2.00 each plus postage and packing. (The link to buy a printed copy is accessed from the Members Area, not the online store. Click on a magazine image and you will find the link to buy a printed copy is located at the bottom of the new page.)

Monthly emailed newsletter

News and info from the world of 007

10% Discount on all items in the JBIFC online store

Membership entitles you to 10% discount off any item from our extensive range of officially licenced James Bond 007 merchandise

Special offers on other 'Bond' related items as and when available

£9.50 per year worldwide

Magazines

KISS KISS BANG BANG magazine is now available individually for just £4.95 - Click here to buy now.

I'll be back next month any news, views or comments you may have - email me directly at: davidblack@007.info